Border State Democrats Call for Transparency From FCC on Channel Repacking

1/2/2013

WASHINGTON – Three Washington lawmakers are
concerned about losing TV station signals in their state in the next channel
repacking prompted by the spectrum incentive auctions. In a letter addressed to
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, they noted that
channel reassignment in the Northern border states must be coordinated with
Canada as per treaty obligations.

“There are 37
full-power TV stations in Washington State,” wrote Reps. Jim McDermott, Norman Dicks and
Adam Smith, all Democrats from Washington. “As many as 14 of these could have
no place to be relocated when repacking occurs, meaning that they could be
forced to cut power and lose viewers. Of the 17 full-power stations in the
Seattle/Tacoma market, as many as 10 could have no place to go. In Spokane, of
the10 stations in that market, four of them could be forced to move and cut
their power and viewership. This could be harmful for the stations and the
people who invest in them, but devastating to the hundreds of thousands of
people that rely on free, over-the-air television.”

The FCC must
conduct its spectrum auction proceeding “as openly and transparently as
possible,” they said. “We therefore request that the commission commit itself
to a transparent process, promptly disclosing, on an ongoing basis, all the
information it has available with respect to any new band plan it may adopt.”

The lawmakers
also asked to be informed of any contact FCC staff have with Canadian authorities
with regard to the repack. They also urged the commission to work with the
Washington State Broadcasters Association and the National Association of
Broadcasters “as this process unfolds.”